Scientific, technical and medical (STM) journals serve as vital platforms for disseminating scientific knowledge and advancing technological innovation. However, due to various negative factors, the publishing environment for Chinese STM journals has deteriorated, significantly restricting their sustainable development. It is evident that STM journals do not exist in isolation; rather, the publishing environment plays a crucial role in their growth and survival. Ecology, as a discipline, examines the interrelationships among organisms and between organisms and their environment. Publishing ecology extends these ecological theories to the study of publishing systems, serving as an interdisciplinary framework that investigates the laws and mechanisms governing the interactions between publishing media and the environmental factors influencing their survival and development. From the perspective of publishing ecology, this study first elaborates on the interdependent and interactive relationship between STM journals and their publishing environment. It then examines current challenges that STM journals are facing, including the distortion of the academic evaluation system, inadequate enforcement of the peer review system, decentralized journal management structures, and deficiencies in the journal evaluation system. Finally, four ecological construction strategies are proposed to restore balance and promote sustainability: (1) Strengthen enforcement of the peer review system and rigorously verify issues related to research integrity and publication ethics. Adhere strictly to peer review system, ensuring fairness, transparency, and accountability. Reform the academic evaluation system to refocus on the original intention of scholarly inquiry and cultivate a healthy academic ecosystem; (2) Encourage constructive competition among journals, adopt ecological niche strategies, clearly define their positioning, highlight the characteristics and branding of the publications, and develop their own unique competitive advantages. Simultaneously, foster collaboration among journals, follow the path of group development, and build a favorable industry ecosystem; (3) The national publishing administrative authorities should leverage their role in macro-regulation by improving the journal management system and strengthening oversight of journal publishing activities. Establish a scientifically sound and balanced journal evaluation system that comprehensively evaluate journal quality, thereby cultivating a supportive institutional ecosystem; (4) Utilize new media platforms—such as WeChat official accounts and video accounts —to expand dissemination channels, enrich content formats, and improve accessibility for authors and readers. Focus on cutting-edge developments within disciplinary fields, identify emerging research hotspots, and promptly publish breakthrough academic achievements and report the latest development trends of various disciplines, and enhance the journal' s role in disciplinary development. Centering on the major demands and technical challenges of the national economic development, we should carry out thematic planning in a guiding manner to provide a knowledge foundation for breaking through "bottleneck" technologies, and enhancing the journal' s capacity to serve societal needs, thus building a robust service ecosystem. Collectively, these strategies aim to foster harmonious development of STM journals and their publishing environment, offering theoretical insights and practical guidance for promoting the sustainable development of Chinese STM journals and enhancing their academic influence globally.